Chinese farmer Huang Fuchun works on a piece of art. [Photo provided to China Daily]

It is quite an achievement and recognition for Chinese artists to have their works collected by the National Art Museum, but Chinese farmer Huang Fuchun accomplished that goal many years ago.

Born in 1972 in a rural village in Nan'an district, Southwest China's Chongqing, Huang became a farmer after finishing junior high school because his family was too poor to afford his education. He picked up the brushes in 1992 when the local government set up a free art training project to teach oil painting to farmers.

At that time, he worked in the field on weekdays and practiced painting over the weekend. After training for about a year, his works were exhibited at the National Museum in Beijing, which later collected three pieces of his.

He paints only one subject: rural life.

"I have loved painting since I was a kid," Huang said. "Now it is a very important part of my life."